Cold and Alone
by Spitfire123
Summary: When a series of kidnaps and murders claims his lover, Akihiko must call upon his group of friends to rescue Misaki from two old enemies. Will Akihiko make it in time or will the madness and insanity of Hell force Misaki into submission? Kidnap/Supernatural fic and minor gore
1. Chapter 1

Tears sprang from emerald eyes as drops of sanguinity burst from an open wound, making their way in an agonizingly slow journey to his nimble fingertips, dripping off in a incessant pattern. Chocolate tresses swept over his sweaty forehead, breathing shallow. The attacker raised his knife, letting the screams resonate openly around a deserted house, as the body was hacked to bloodied pieces.

* * *

For the bajillionth time that week, Misaki could feel all eyes on him. On the street, at school, he even felt watched in his own freaking apartment! Goddammit, it pissed him off!

He ground his teeth together violently as he hacked at the vegetables. As an absent-minded thought, he wondered that, if the eggplant had eyes, would they be staring at him too? He shook the stupid question out of his mind and growled. When the hell had he (and everyone else) gotten so paranoid?

Across from the kitchen area sat Usami Akihiko, great lord and novelist, and Misaki's lover (though the latter would deny every ounce of truth in that statement), lighting up his third cigarette in the past hour. He seemed lost in thought, and the brunette brushed it off as him pondering his current storyline.

As he finished chopping up the annoyingly purple vegetable, Misaki glanced up, and Usagi-san was nowhere to be found. Misaki was all too prepared for what was to come.

"Usagi-san, I'm not in the mood." The brunette ground out, glaring down at the scattered slices of eggplant with annoyance. Instead of a dark chuckle and the usual heat of being engulfed by Usagi, Misaki was alone. He was cold and alone, even as he heard the door upstairs close.

Jumbled, and a bit angry, the boy scoffed and made his way over to the bottom of the stairs, "Usagi! I need something from the store. I'm going to go get-!" His words stuck in his throat as his lover quickly left the room and flew down the stairs like a bat out of hell.

"I'm coming with you." the smooth tone laced with velvet only served to annoy the brunette further. He didn't want to deal with his lover's idiocy right now.

"No! I'm going by myself!" Misaki cried, hastily pulling on his coat and shoes. After all, it would suck to catch a cold.

"Misaki, please, I want to get some.. Life experience for my newest story.." The boy sighed. There was no way out of this one.. He growled softly, reprimanding himself for what he was about to do.

"Fine, you can come.." Violet eyes lit into a bright amethyst, and Misaki blushed. This was going to be one long grocery trip..

* * *

Much like our beloved Misaki, Hiroki was in a bit of a jumble as well.

Of course, it wasn't as simple as allowing his lover to accompany him to the store. More like he was totally pissed of at Nowaki. So much that he had stormed out during their heated argument and slammed the door right in his lovers face (which he totally felt bad about... Totally).

And so, there he was, resting on a bench, freezing his ass off. He had already contemplated going to Akihiko's or Miyagi's just for shelter away from the bitter wind, but decided against it. They would probably be too busy with their boy-toys to bother worrying about him.

And there was absolutely no way in hell he was going back home. Not after his pride had almost been shattered due to the giant. He scoffed, replaying it over in his mind again. Nowaki had been going on about some murderer or something, telling him to always travel with someone he knew and blah blah blah. It was as if he couldn't protect himself, which Hiroki was totally capable of doing!

The street light flickered dulling, causing the man to jump, a shadow looming over his hunched form. He looked up and met the familiar eyes of another. Grumbling under his breath, Hiroki stood to face the darkened silhouette with his hands on his hips.

"Oh, it's _you_. What do you want?"

* * *

The word 'shit' was uttered, like a mantra, throughout the entire apartment, searching every square centimetre for the missing blonde boy.

Miyagi Yoh might have been bad at keeping track of things, paperwork included, but he never imagined it would get this bad. He never thought it possible to lose his terrorist lover. But then again, Miyagi was surprising himself every day.

Earlier in the night, they had, not surprisingly, had sex. Then cuddled. And next thing he knew, the boy had gone missing, leaving his cell phone lying on the kitchen counter.

The black-haired man cursed again, scribbling a quick note just in case the boy were to come back while he was out searching for him. After that, and without further ado, Miyagi sprinted from the building, but not before snatching his cell phone from the coffee table.

This was a major pain in the ass, that's for sure.

* * *

**A/N: Wooooh, first chapter is up~ yay, first chapter of first junjou fic actually! I'm actually really excited about this one! Okay, so I might not be able to update for a bit, but do t worry. Ill definately try to have the next chapter up by next weekend~ **


	2. Chapter 2

By now, Misaki was pretty sure he had accidentally strangled the shopping cart handle four times, and that his face was an angry shade of red at his lovers stupidity when it came to regular things.

"Just calm down and get the stuff," Misaki grumbled, quiet enough for no one hear. Taking a deep breath, he went back to scanning over a ripe tomato for any bruises.

Next to him, Akihiko stared, watching him turn the fruit over and over in the palms of his hands, taking in every detail to use in the next installment of the Junai series. In all honesty, Akihiko could stare at his lover for hours and not get bored with the way his facial expressions changed depending on his thoughts. He chuckled slightly at the thought, watching the boy jump as a result. Cocking an eyebrow as he smirked, Akihiko turned to watch a couple passersby, tuning in to their conversation to see what 'normal' people talk about.

'Nothing interesting, I suppose,' Akihiko sighed, before his eyes widened slightly, suddenly intent on listening to two young women talking.

"No, haven't you heard! All the victims have been boys, duh, you're alright!"

"A-Are you sure? Don't you think we should phone your mom to come pick us up?"

"Girl, you're overreacting again. Jeez, I need to bring you to a nightclub so you can let loose sometime."

"I'm being serious! Th-They say the guy... takes advantage of them, and then.. he.. d-disassembles them limb by limb!" The girl was obviously desperate for some way out of walking home in the dark, but that's not the thing that Akihiko noticed first.

"All the victims.. boys." Realization hit him square in the chest. And it hit him hard too.

Just as he turned back to Misaki, the boy had gathered everything he needed and paid, and was now standing in front of him. He was tapping his foot impatiently, glowering up at Akihiko.

Just looking at that boyish face made the silver-haired man nervous, vowing to never let this boy get away from him.

* * *

Hiroki cocked his eyebrow, expecting a sarcastic remark, but the boy that stood in front of him did nothing. Nothing but glare slightly and shiver as a particularly strong gust of wind blew past them.

_What was going through his mind?_ Hiroki was getting annoyed at the various ideas as to why this blond haired brat was wasting his time.

"If you're here to rant about Miyagi, then-"

"I'm not.." Eyes that had lost their spark, their drive, glanced up at Hiroki in despair, "I just.." Tears welled in those eyes, hardly going unnoticed by the older man. "Tell him.."

Hiroki could sense something was off. He shrugged it off as a lovers quarrel or something.

"Spit it out, brat! I don't have all night." Shinobu's eyes widened considerably, grimacing at the irritated voice before growling, glaring at the older man with infinite rage flowing through steely eyes.

"Shut up! You.. you have no idea how I feel right now! Just stay away from Miyagi!" And with that outburst, the boy ran rampant down the sidewalk. For a mere second, Hiroki almost considered chasing after the disgruntled teen.

Despite this momentary lapse of sympathy and the slight urge to, in fact, run after Shinobu, a callous voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hiro-san.."

* * *

Miyagi sunk into a bench, head in hands. The sun was starting to come up, and he still had no luck finding the rambunctious brat that had forced his way into his life. To make matters worse, his classes started in an hour, and he was beginning to feel the effects of no caffeine or smokes or, most importantly, sleep.

"Shit," Miyagi cursed, receiving a couple dirty looks from the people walking by. He ignored them, hoping that his adorable lover could at least have the gall to call him.

Groaning as he stood, he slumped slightly, making his way to the nearest store to buy enough caffeine to last him throughout the day.

* * *

A smirk graced precious lips, curling them into a disgustingly sinister grin. It had been so long since he'd been able to savor a murder quite like this; since he had been able to caress a victim's silky hair. It had been forever since he had been able to whet he appetite with something as beautiful and fulfilling as this creature that sat before him, driving his carnal desires wild.

When the pointed nails of the host made their way down the pale, protruding cheek and jaw, he could feel the boy underneath him shiver as the captor relished in the tentative whimpers that escaped his prey. Crimson mingled with the cobalt color of the hosts eyes, haphazardly flashing both colors in the heat of passion. Aside from the annoyingly small stature of the body he inhabited, the leech decided playing with this puppet would be interesting.

* * *

He could feel his insides turn, wishing control upon his own body so he could stop this madness and destruction. However, the soul of the host was trapped within the confines of his own mind; watching and waiting until the demons that had control got bored and he was free to leave. At least, he would be free until tomorrow night, when the demons within him would ultimately take control again and use his body to sate their desires.  
He desperately wanted to call out, scream to the heavens, and even God himself, that this was not of his doing; desperately willing his body to be purged of these disgusting fiends.

* * *

**A/N: A bit late, and short for that matter, but I hope it's okay. Happy late Yom Kippur, I hope it was a good one! Also, this week is going to be very busy, so I might update with a shorter chapter sometime around Friday. Thanks for reading this. Reviews are LOVED! Thank you to wasabi cake and The1CAMIEL! And thank you to everyone who faved and followed! I can't explain how awesome it feels to actually have people who like my writing, so, in all seriousness, thank you guys so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

"_Hiro-san.."_

It was cold, forced, and, to every extent of the word, pissed him off. That man had no right to talk to him in that voice, that cold voice that resonated with pity and frustration.

And even now as the feisty, angry brunette slammed his books on his respective desk, he could feel as his face flared with excess heat, a sign of exasperation. It was annoying, Hiroki thought, he was a man after all. He could protect himself.

"_Goddamit!_ Just because that blubbering, no-brained idiot forced his way into my life doesn't mean he has any right to tell me what to do!" Hiroki gripped his own hair tightly, trying to quell his anger. It worked, to the fullest extent that grabbing at your hair and curling in a ball could.

And as soon as Hiroki had calmed down, his need for his significant other flared up inside him. Every area of his mind was dominated at the thought of Nowaki, every sector and every crevice. He could feel his own hands beginning to map out the area toward the conjunction between his legs. But, before his hands could meet his growing tent, one of many earsplitting bells echoed throughout the building, signifying the first classes were about to begin.

"Shit." he whispered, noting the time, and as he picked up the materials for his classes, Hiroki realized just how bedraggled he looked.

Ignoring the awful situation of looking practically disgusting, he moved to the door and headed down the hall towards his first classes.

* * *

Nowaki, as sweet as he was, felt very frustrated right now. How could his Hiro-san just leave him like that?! It wasn't like he had done something outrageous.. Had he? Even if he had, why would Hiro-san just run off? Twice as well!

Breaking out of his reverie, the man came face to face with his sempai, Tsumori's face twisted into a confused look and staring up at him. They stood in silence, both staring at each other with confused looks, before Tsumori broke the silence.

"Something happened with your wife, didn't it?" Nowaki twitched, barely resisting the urge to correct his sempai. Instead, he fixed the older man with a quizzical look and cocked an eyebrow.

"How.." His sempai only smirked in response.

"I knew it. You always have this look on your face like 'OH NOES, MY HIROO-SANN!" Tsumori gave Nowaki the most frantic look he could muster, eyes widening and mouth not unlike that of a goldfish.

Nowaki, bearing his teeth in a threatening growl, glared angrily at his sempai, a dark aura washing over him. Could his sempai just leave him alone? He really did not want to be bothered, especially at such a desperate time.

But his thoughts had to wait, his shift came first, and so did the children. Children were his first priority at work, even if Hiro-san hated him now.

* * *

Halfway through the day, Miyagi's class was interrupted by an obnoxiously loud terrorist, intent on speaking to the older man. In that instant, Miyagi could hear the class start up with a series of murmurs and assumptions.

Under normal circumstances, Miyagi would've asked him to wait outside until his class was over. However, obviously, these were not normal circumstances. Shinobu had disappeared in the middle of the night for God's sake!

So, quickly explaining an upcoming assignment and telling his students get to it, Miyagi made his way to the door, shutting it quickly, creating a blockade between him and his students. As he turned to the little terrorist before him, Miyagi's lips were attacked, plump pink ones engulfing his own. His mind went blank, and the only thing Miyagi could do was stand there, frozen in place.

Soon, he found himself kissing back without regrets. As the ministrations went on, Shinobu found himself pinned against the wall, as Miyagi moved his mouth in an untraceable rhythm. His full attention was on the boy beneath him, only jumping away at the shrill bell that signified the end of classes.

Forcing a nervous smile and laugh, Miyagi quickly fixed his clothes and hair, for they had most certainly become disheveled in the lust. Shinobu, on the other hand, who Miyagi found to be acting strange from the beginning, left his clothes and hair bedraggled, choosing to, instead, saunter down the hallway. But not before Miyagi could catch that playful smirk and the words:

"Later, Miyagi. I will be waiting."

* * *

In the alleyway lay a sullen figure, hunched over against the pattering rain. Only three fingers remain on his left hand, none on his right, and three jagged marks etched their way across his face. His hair was mussed from the rain, clinging to his fragile skull while his legs splayed out in front of him.

"They will pay for this." he whispered, only to reassure himself that his efforts shalt not be in vain. "They _will_ regret laying a hand on me."

* * *

Night was approaching, and still, Usagi-san was not home.

Sighing dejectedly and planting himself firmly on the couch, Misaki refused to move until his... lover (the word still felt so odd on his lips) returned, even when his stomach growled hungrily.

As it continued making noises, Misaki found it impossible to resist the growing urges coming from his abdomen. He promised himself it would be a quick run to the store, just to get some sort of microwavable dinner, as all the cookable food had been eaten by Isaka and Aikawa the day before.

Sighing, he climbed to his feet, grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, and swiped a couple yen from the 'yen jar', as it had been dubbed by the boy.

Before he left, his stomach groaned in protest and he glowered down at it. "Shut up." He whispered, shutting and locking the door behind him.

It would be quick, he said, bundled up in his jacket, to protect against the cold.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this is so late, the end to grading periods are bitchs.. Anyways, that doesn't take away from the fact that this is sooo late.. Well, thanks to everyone reading this, and thank you to everyone who reviewed/reviews (PeachLily24) and favorited/followed! (InuGirl4ever12, The Heist, and blah0799)!**


	4. Chapter 4

In his half-mumbling state, Hiroki trudged home late after finishing both his and Miyagi's stack after the latter had rushed home. For what, Hiroki unsure, but he had been stuck completing both piles, finally leaving the office after the last trains had stopped.

Hiroki sighed, barely moving to dodge a couple people sleepily. Damn him, Miyagi could finish his own work next time.

As he rounded the corner of his street, his instincts awakened, and he found himself peering around cautiously. Something felt wrong; but what?

And when he finally managed I shake it off and continue down the deserted road, something lashed out. It was slimy, cutting into the rounded flesh of his cheek with ease.

_"Hiroki, darling, it's been quite a while hasn't it."_

* * *

As his thoughts finally began to clear, his vision was still hazy. He could not comprehend the situation that he was in. But once his vision had focused a bit, a musty, coppery odour hit the insides of his nostrils, and he had to keep himself from heaving up whatever food he had left. The scent was only doubled by the dank humidity of the room, where ever it was. It was devoid of light, as if an island of darkness in the bright streetlights of Toyko's surburban corridors.

As if completely disoriented, Misaki stumbled to his feet, the frigidity of the room was finally made known by the gushing air currents circulating. Bare, aching feet paded around, attempting to find a door in near black darkness. How did he get here?

As nimble fingers traced over every contour, his eyes tried to note any flash of color or outlined figure, as there had been too many to count, and Misaki dared not venture to close.

As an absentminded thought, Misaki made note of how big it was and bet the people that owned it were rich.

Not that it mattered of course. He was still stuck here until he found the way out.

A small shift and step sent him tumbling to the ground, screeching out as his head made direct contract with the cement. It only served to further disorient him as he stared towards the ceiling.

He sat there for a moment, the force of the impact causing him to rethink moving for a did he get here? He was unsure of that in of itself. Was this Usagi-san's basement? What had he been doing before this?

Silently, he touched his fingers to his lips. _Oh_.

Dancing lightly on his tongue was the aftertaste of chloroform.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I am aware of how short it is, but don't worry, I'll update soon! Also, thank you to all of my followers and favouriters! **


	5. Chapter 5

Wincing, Hiroki wiped a strand of bloodied hair out of his face. As he jumped to avoid another attack, he twisted, landing badly upon his ankle, a jolt of pain making his confidence wither.

He yelped softly as he fell to the ground, scraping his hand and knees on the asphalt as he tried to brace himself. Rolling over, he narrowly missed another thrust at his chest. Hiroki had long since lost the ability to hear the beast grunt and yowl in haughty pride. It was an instinct, to focus, to block out the noise. It was something he had learned from Akihiko.

Now, Hiroki took a quick look at the attacker, instantly recognizing the form. It had occupied a human host, but it was far too dark to see. However, surrounding the shaking figure, the shadows had turned to piercing talons, black and dripping with venomous fluids. They protectively encircled the host in the center, facing outward to throw practically undodgeable attacks.

He was caught off guard, and Hiroki was sent flying into the nearest building, screaming in agony as his head cracked against the bricks. Fiery pain dulled his thoughts, fear boiling up into his soul.

He could no longer feel his body, only the pain it was causing him as another of the talons thrust out, burying itself deep in his abdomen as his screams of torture echoed throughout oblivion.

Cracking his eyes open, a dizzyingly familiar met his gaze, moving in closer. Hiroki panicked, scrambling towards the open street, crawling under the dazzling rays of the streetlight. It was his protectorate, Hiroki thought tiredly, as his breath slowly became shallower.

"D-Dammit.." He whispered, and the beast boomed out a loud laugh.

"_You may or may not live this time, child, but soon_," Hiroki's eyes closed, "_I will get your precious Akihiko regardless_." A gust of chilled air rushed past him, signifying the presence had disappeared.

As he lay dying, the brunette clutched at the torso wound, saying one last prayer before he slumped, heart becoming inactive in the midnight air.

* * *

It was an unpleasant feeling, waking up in an unknown place, and a dark unknown place at that.

Misaki was sitting, back against the wall. He had already felt his way around the perimeter of the room three times with no luck. Why would this time be any different?

The young man sighed, realizing that he asked that question far too much since he had moved into Usagi-san's flat.

Hanging his head in defeat, Misaki curled up, trying to preserve some of his natural heat. It was too cold for his liking, and the cement was beginning to steal the warmth from his body.

For a second, his breath shuddered, and he wrapped his arms tighter around himself. He didn't like it here, it was too cold.. He could feel his nose go numb, finally relieving him from smelling the scent of rotting flesh.

"W-Whatever this is, it isn't funny!" Misaki spoke loudly, hoping for a response from the depths of this darkened cavern.

He got one, in the form of a slight demented chuckle and echoing footsteps.

"_Hello, child_," That voice, so sinister in all forms, growled. Misaki involuntarily shivered, dreading the moment he had to come face to face with this person.

"W-Who are you? What do you want?" The footsteps stopped tapping in front of him and struck a match, effectively lighting the room, and Misaki looked around, nearly vomiting at the sight. Littered around the room, corpses lay, blood splattered against the cement walls. No doors; no windows; no exit; _no escape._

His attention was directed back to the youthful man in front of him, blond hair splayed out and crimson eyes glittering. "_Dear_," It spoke sourly, scowling down at Misaki. "_I am the worst thing that ever happened to you. You would do well to remember that, and not make my absolute hatred for you worse_."

* * *

Usagi was frantic, to say the least.

"Goddammit! I told him not to go out alone!" Usagi stated furiously, pacing about his flat. "I told him not to! Shit." Glaring at his phone, Usagi huffed, "And Hiroki isn't picking up either."

Sighing, he picked up his phone for the fifth time in ten minutes. Usagi stared at it for a second, before calling the very familiar number of his editor, trying to calm himself down somewhat before Aikawa answered.

"_Hello? Usami-sensei?.. What the hell do you need at three in the goddamned morning?!_" Aikawa's furious voice resounded throughout the apartment. And no, she was not on speaker.

Wincing, Usagi grimaced at the prospect of angering the devil woman too much. "Aikawa? I need you to check the monitors." There was silence over the line, before a breathless gasp.

"_Shit, it's happened, hasn't it?_" Usagi sighed, flopping on the ground next to the door.

"Hai.."

"_I'm so sorry Usami-sensei. I'll check the monitors to see if any activity has happened in the recent?.._"

"Four hours." Usagi filled in, praying desperately that nothing had happened. No activity meant Misaki was just taking a long time deciding on what frozen dinner to get. Yeah, just taking a really long time, Usagi supposed.

His dreams of finding Misaki were shattered as Aikawa's voice came loud and clear over the phone.

"_Usami-sensei.. there was reported activity right outside your apartment building._"

* * *

**A/N: I bet you totally didn't see that coming... (- sarcasm). Anways, WOOT! Fifth chapter, yay.. Reviews are loved? Thanks to everyone that reviews/reviewed, faved, and alerted~ 3**


	6. Chapter 6

He silently floated through the darkness, aimlessly forced to listen to the wails and piteous snivels from the outside world.

It disgusted him, that such mundane actions and emotions could be evoked by the sight of the body of someone you had never met. Yet, this concern perplexed him, which had caused him to read up on the human psyche at an early age, and still could not understand, comprehend the disdain of losing something unknown.

He sighed, wary of the darkness that surrounded him, the souls of the deceased waiting for sanctuary. Most would call this oblivion, limbo, and even go as far to called it hell, but to him, it was home. Before his mortal life on Earth, this was his home, and he had memories of God blessing him with the gift of knowledge and light. A light that had flickered out at times, but a light no less.

As his feet landed softly on the plush grass of paradise, his bowed, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes, shielding his concern. After all, it was the third time he had died in this lifetime, and he hadn't exactly been active for a while...

"_It is alright, child. Standan forth to meet my gaze_." Hiroki pulled himself to his feet, quizzically staring up at the supreme himself. "_Thou shalt seek for the one who defies me, whilt thee save thy clan. Canst thou doth this_?"

Hiroki nodded, tongue reverting to his old language, "Yes, I canst doth it, my lord. Thou shalt not be disappointed in me henceforth."

* * *

His entire body burned in pain, and blood seeped out of open wounds. He could taste it in his mouth, feel it dry and stick to the hairs protruding from his chest and legs, and it clouded over his vision with a crimson haze. It was everywhere.

Lifting a tattered hand to his eyes, Misaki wiped away the foul, bodily liquids with disgust, looking at his captor with wide eyes. And standing above was the blond-haired demon, grinning as he lifted Misaki's battered body effortlessly and tossed him down onto the concrete flooring.

Feeling his head crack against the floor, Misaki groaned in pain, curling in an attempt to protect himself from further harm. It hurt, even as the demonic child crouched next to him and gently ran the tip of the bloodied knife along each crevice of his rib.

Misaki bit his lip to quell his whimpers, feeling the tip of his knife trace flowing patterns around his heart, then the demons fingers were upon him, smearing the blood from his chest towards his heart.

"_This belongs to Akihiko, doesn't it_?" It asked, chuckling maniacally into the other boys ear as Misaki froze in fear. Feeling this sudden movement under his fingers, the demon grinned and leaned to whisper in Misaki's ear.

"_When I'm done with you, there's no way he'll ever want you back. You'll be so broken beyond repair that he won't look twice at you_."

* * *

Clenching his hand in a fingerless fist, the man growled in anger and contempt for these fiends. Still he sat, as he had for hours, contemplating the next move, the next attack; the one that will bring down this demonic presence still haunting his nightmares, plastered to the inside of his eyelids.

And yet, he sat motionless, fearing that had he move, it might find him and drag him back down to the depths of hell.

And he sure as fuck didn't want that..

* * *

Usagi paced, furious. What was he going to do? The goddamned oni he spent so much of his life trying to seal away, and now it was back?

He looked at the darkened cityscape outside of his window. "God." he whispered, "I better get into sanctuary after all this shit.."

* * *

**A/N: *cries in a corner* Why are all my chapter so short?! **

**Now that that's over with, thanks for reading~ and for those of you wondering, no, this is not referring to Christian God.. Idk, it's just a religion I have ****_MADE_**** UP,**** so please don't assume these are ideas from the bible and such. On the other hand, I might reference some Christian ideas, but oh well.. THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FAVOURITE, ALERT, AND REVIEW~ **


	7. Chapter 7

The demon had left him in mild haze, clinging to the remnants of a life once present; for which he was thankful. He was alone to ponder his existence if he may so choose; wonder, of all people, why him? The question itched to be answered, but Misaki ignored it, choosing to, instead, gingerly touch the lacerations that covered his chest. They burned with the sting of dry tears and promise of accursed death, still boiling with lively red essence.

Grimacing in the slight candlelight, Misaki removed his hand, beginning to feel the slightest bit dizzy. There was no doubt in his mind that it was the blood loss, but Misaki refused to close his eyes, for he did not feel safe. And if he did not feel safe, he would not sleep, not here.

He couldn't sleep, not when he felt that monsters presence lurking deep within the shadows, hovering above him in his paranoia and disdain.

His hand wandered back to the bleeding wounds, question still itching the back of his mind where he had locked it away. Misaki pushed his fingers against an open wound, attempting to keep himself bound to the mortal realm through pain. But even with the catalyst of pain, Misaki could feel himself slipping, eyes closing in a grimace of delirium and frustration. Through the pain and hysteria, his question, this little question of why, slipped from its confines to taunt him within his dreams that so thoroughly merged with reality.

The dream of rejection and dejection of society. The growing flame of desolate distaste and forsaken banishment. This dream foretold the future; a future bound in chains and blood; of watching and waiting.

A future of pain and outcastment.

* * *

From the shadows, the demon watched with a quickly saddening expression, eyes growing wide as his actions finally sunk in. For him, watching this young mortal struggle with the repulsive idea of betrayal was not just sickening. No, it was far more than that; almost as if it held an act of nostalgia hidden in the crevices, only to be seen if you were to search for it. He looked upon this boy and hurt; guilt and regret boiling up from the insides of his soulless body, and in turn, cascading down his face in pinkened waterfalls of scorn and contempt. This boys blood was upon him, splotching his pale complexion.

His human side was getting the better of him, his host fighting against the mind restraints placed so heavily on the soul of this body. For he is nothing more than a parasite, a bug that can so easily cause pain and despair. But he was once an innocent boy, sent to this realm by Angra to destroy and pillage the lives of the weak minded. He had no further purpose but to torture and then kill, but one boy had shown him otherwise.

And that boy had betrayed him. The demon wanted nothing but to get revenge on that accursed soul, to make him hurt.

However, he was only the harbinger of despair and mistrust, and Angra was the overseer of death and evil.

_But once this boy is disposed of_, the demon thought, _Akihiko will be his to destroy. Angra will yield his powers to me and I may bring death and darkness upon this realm._

Slowly, he began to grin again, working his plan out in high hopes of success.

* * *

**A/N: internet cookies to anyone who can tell me who Angra is~! (yes, it is actually something..).**


	8. Chapter 8

It was barely the break of dawn when Hiroki reopened his eyes, shaking out his body as if it had been asleep for years, covered in dust. Stretching with an indignant sigh, Hiroki cracked his neck and pulled himself to his feet. Dying was surprisingly tiring to the body and soul.

He checked his clothes quickly, and upon seeing the massive blood stains littering the cotton clothing, he cursed. How the hell was he supposed to hide this? His inquiry was finally answered with the finding of a nice, thick trench coat sitting on top of a closed trash can.

Once thoroughly covered, Hiroki walked back the rest of the way to his apartment, heaving a breath of relief as the door shut behind him. But that quickly found relief was gone in a seconds time, for at the stove stood Nowaki, staring back at him slumped against the door. There was silence between the two, before Nowaki bit back the growl in his voice to ask.

"Whose jacket is that?"

"I'm fucking peachy, thanks for asking." Hiroki snapped sardonically, glaring at the taller and turning towards the bathroom. But before he could make it any farther, Hiroki felt himself turned and the jacket ripped from his being.

A gasp came from the taller man, as Hiroki's body was revealed, ripped t-shirt complete with deep bloodstains. Although Hiroki's body was no longer scarred, the amount of dried blood was enough to stimulate his lovers imagination, bringing the giant to a horribly close analysis of the events prior to that morning.

Once again, there was silence as Nowaki took in the others physical appearance with surprise and concern. "W-What.. Who did this to you?" Hiroki sneered.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Hiroki knocked off the offending hands with ease, turning away, only to be caught in a tight hug.

"It was your professor, wasn't it?" Nowaki asked after a while, and Hiroki chuckled at his naivety.

"Not even close. Care for another guess?" He felt hot breath on his neck and shifted slightly, away from the source, only for Nowaki to pull him in closer despite the blood.

"Not really.. can't you just tell me?" Hiroki sighed, hoping this day wouldn't have to come.

Slowly, he attempted to find the right words to phrase this. "I.. It was an oni." It was silent for the third time that day, before Nowaki nodded slightly.

"I believe you, Hiro-san. I love you, and love depends on trust." Hiroki smiled slightly at his youth and squirmed a bit in the others grasp. The dried blood was starting to itch, and he wanted it off his skin soon.

The rest of the morning was spent washing up and relaxing, just the two of them.

* * *

His breath hitched a bit as stared at the beauties before him, sleek black covers fitting over both of them. He had rarely called upon these since he had met Misaki, only coming back to them when he had to release a bit of pent up anger.

"Usami-sensei!" Aikawa chirped, bouncing into the room with a smile. "I found your old Luger! I think it still has a bit of Hiroki's charm on it." Aikawa stared at the handgun carefully, determining if it was still up to the fight against demons. Akihiko simply rolled his eyes and turned back to the slate-colored covers, ripping them off to reveal two polished AK-47s, complete with excess ammunitions, barely touched by dust or other dirtying figures.

They were still as beautiful as the first time he saw them, he thought. And the charms were still in effect, which was a plus, as casting new charms would waste him a day in bed trying to recover, and he wanted to start searching right away.  
As to start, he turned to his editor, watching her continue to marvel at the small gun.

"Aikawa, you should alert the team." She looked up, confused for a moment, before nodding.

"Hai, Usami-sensei."

* * *

**A/N: urg, writing long chapters are so hard.. im wondering if you guys would be opposed to me just writing short chapters every couple days or so *hopeful smile* Also, congratulations Osculamini mortis and Bookwormgirl2 ~ they both had some general understanding about the presence of Angra, so that was fun~ (Angra is from one of my fav religions to study~) until next time~**


	9. Chapter 9

Few hours after uncovering his twin guns and luger, Akihiko was accompanied by Aikawa, Isaka, and Asahina in the living room of his flat. They had yet to contact Hiroki, as he was choosing not to answer his phone today, which served to piss off all four of them.

Isaka and Asahina, after hearing of the resurrection of the demon, had hurried over with the entirety of the formers weapons arsenal, which had concluded to be damn large selection of knives. Each was spread out across the table, along with a couple katana's. On the ground were three of Aikawa's forged spears, and Asahina's bows, and on the kitchen counter lay Akihiko's AK-47s and luger. The only weapons missing from their depot was Hiroki's lightweight hatchet and his tome, and a jerry can of holy water, which had to be blessed by Hiroki's hands alone.

However, none of them had kept any armor, which served as a problem considering that a demon could attack faster than most could dodge. Therefore, armor was a must before they began their assault.

Akihiko was pacing once again as the other three chatted away. He would've joined them in conversation had he not been so anxious to set out immediately. With an impatient sigh, he closed his flip phone in defeat as his called was, once again, not answered by his friend.

He stopped pacing around the foyer and slumped onto the couch. "Hiroki still hasn't answered.. Damn him to hell." He cursed with annoyance, and tried once again.

* * *

Hiroki groaned softly, kissing back with fervor and pressing his body flush against the taller man; only to be interrupted by another call on his landline. The two broke apart and sighed simultaneously. It had been the third time Akihiko had called, and Hiroki knew it was him. After all, Akihiko is the only person he knows who is stubborn enough to pull a stunt like this.

"That incompetent bastard.." The brunnette cursed ungratefully, peeling himself off his boyfriend to answer the devil device.

"Akihiko!" He barked angrily into the receiver. "Why the hel-"

"Ah, Hiroki, you finally answered!" He slumped slightly at the sound of his friends peppy voice. "I've been trying to cal-"

"Yes, I've noticed." Hiroki ground out, shaking in anger at the sheer stupidity of this conversation. "What the hell do you want?"

There was a moment of silence, and frankly, Hiroki was getting sick of all this silence. Silence here, silence there, silence every-fucking-where.

"The oni has returned." And the line went dead, leaving Hiroki in shock and slight confusion. It had come back? But he had cast a charm upon it. T-That couldn't be possible!

Within the blink of an eye, Hiroki was in the study, searching for a tome that lay hidden among several other thick books. After a minute of searching, his eyes finally found the dusty tome, and he retrieved it. Nowaki stood in the doorway curiously, padding over to look on as his Hiro-san opened the book, dust flying from its pages.

Without looking Hiroki handed the giant the book, going back to the bookshelf and standing in front with a set jaw. Stepping forward, he threw off the remaining books in a frenzy, grinning a bit when his prize was revealed.

Just behind the thick wall of dusty books was a polished hatchet, edge still sharp and glinting in the darkness that surrounded it. As it was pulled from it's casing, the rosewood handle, with embedded ruby, shined blood red in the sunlight.

With Nowaki in awe behind him, the brunette tested the blade with his finger, running the pad along the edge as the sharpened metal cut into his skin. Perfect.

He licked the cut, healing it almost instantly with a quick mutter of words, a charm, and turned back to the awestruck giant.

"How long has that been there?" Nowaki asked curiously, looking over the axe with admiration.

"Too long." Was his answer as Hiroki exchanged the axe for the tome, looking through the giant book once more, before shoving it in his messanger bag. "You're coming with me."

"Where are we going?" Nowaki asked, still marveling the vicious beauty of the axe. Hiroki sighed and snatched it away from him, shoving it rather forcefully into the bag as well.

"Akihiko's flat. It seems as though he's having some trouble with demons as well."

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry, there'll be some fighting soon, I promise~ And Hiroki is magical**


	10. Chapter 10

The trip was short and uninteresting. Very little happened, except for the meeting of Tsumori outside the supermarket. Even so, Nowaki merely waved slightly, and the two continued on their way.

When they arrived at Akihiko's flat, they were greeted by a very tired and panicked looking writer, two chatty editors and a quiet secretary. Though, no Misaki, Hiroki noted quietly. Must be why Akihiko's as disheveled as he is.

Nowaki and Aikawa instantly hit it off, and Hiroki just rolled his eyes. Of course, leave it to Nowaki to make instant friends.

Instead of joining in the annoying story of how Nowaki had decidedly cooked eggs this morning, he decided to sit next to Asahina, eyeing the arsenal of weapons currently sprawled across the whole room. Any weapon he could think of was there; swords, lances, guns. You name it, chances are, it was there. Quietly, he added his weapons to the stockroom and leaned his back against the couch.

He watched Akihiko stalk over and plant one foot onto the coffee table with a grunt, surveying each member in his posse, and turning to Hiroki.

"Why is he here?" Akihiko asked with a growl, pointedly glaring at Nowaki. "He can't fight, he obviously doesn't have any senses. He's just going to slow us do-"

"I told him," Hiroki snarled, pointing his own glare at Akihiko. "Now that he knows, he won't be safe." That was a saddened thought, that things would never be the same between them.

"But he's useless. You shouldn't have told him." The tension was increasing, and neither of them realized, but the entire group had gone quiet. A wave of fury overcame Hiroki's restraints and he stood, slamming his fists on the table, watching with furious anger as it crumbled onto the floor.

"Get real, asshole! He would've found out eventually." Hiroki scowled, crossing his arms with fervor and sick contempt, smirking a bit when Akihiko turned on him. In the background, he could see Nowaki's glare, though he was thankfully being held back by Aikawa.

"I don't give a shit if you have angel blood or not, I am going to murder you!" Akihiko snarled as he lunged at Hiroki, fiercely ignoring the shouts from the others telling him to stop. Though his attack was cut short when he heard a bang against the door.

"Akihiko, you bastard!" Rang throughout the flat, and the silveret groaned, massaging his temples.

"It's open, Onodera.(1)" He shouted, and the door jarred against the back wall. In the doorway was a very pissed off editor, fuming as his scars bunched with his frown.

He looked around as he walked towards the group, snarling and gathering Akihiko's shirt in a fingerless grip, pulling him down to his eye level. "You better fucking fix this." He started, "Do you see what they've done to me?! I have three fucking fingers left!"

Akihiko's eyes grew to the size of tea plates as he took in the status of his former editors form, scars running jagged across pale expanses of skin. "W-What happened to you?"

Onodera scoffed and let go of his shirt, "Your stupid oni got me. And he didn't even have the fucking decency to call me the right name."

".. What did he call you?" Akihiko already knew the answer, but perhaps on the off chance his editor might be wrong, he asked anyways.

"Misaki or something like that. The fucker.."

* * *

He awoke to find himself bandaged up around the core of his body, and cloth wrapped tightly around his head. His lungs and throat burned in the coarse air, and he shivered in the December chills. The candle flickered wearily, as if threatening eternal darkness and damnation. He began to come to, blinking the blurry visions away.

Against him lay a boy, no older than him, but no younger than eighteen. His dirty blonde was marred with blood, and the boys hands curled against Misaki's chest, as if it were a protection attempt. The pale skin was stark compared to his, and Misaki reached out to wake the boy. The weight of his head against his shoulder burnt with a dull pain, and his hair tickled Misaki's cheek.

"Hey, wake up." He said quickly, ruffling the boys hair. He heard the other emit a soft groan and then his face was to a copy of the demons.  
In terror, Misaki knocked the offender backwards, staring into the demons eyes. Though, they were no longer red, but a cobalt blue..

The other sat, rubbing his head while spitting numerous curses at Misaki. This was no demon, this was a boy.

"What the hell is your problem, asshole?" His curious gaze was returned with a ferocious growl, the blonde boy glaring from under his bangs. Though it softened as he realized the situation, the snarl never fully left his face. His face.. he had seen it somewhere.. but where?

Once again, the angered voice broke him from his thoughts. "Dammit, you should be thankful! I saved your goddamned life." The boy grabbed the candle and stood, looking around the room once, then back at down at Misaki, motioning for him to stand as well. "Whatever. There's an exit around here, but it's hidden."

Confused, Misaki stumbled to his feet, balancing himself on the concrete walls. His head was still a bit dizzy, and it took him several seconds to regain the ability to stand straight.

"What's your name?" Misaki asked hesitantly, breathing slowly to still his heart a bit.

"It is unimportant." Was his reply, and Misaki frowned. He was just attempting to be polite, and the boy didn't have to be so rude. He shifted a bit where he stood, mildly discomforted by the tightening bandages. But before he could displace them for a bit more comfort and less corset, the boy glared back at him. "Don't, I made them tight for a reason."

Misaki nodded, and sighed with exhaustion. Fainting wasn't half as good as a nice long sleep, and the cold concrete made it worse. The crick in his back hurt, but there was no way to stretch out in these bandages, and if he did, it'd probably tear the slowly healing cuts.

He heard a soft gasping sound from his partner, followed by a muffled curse. The boy turned on him, quickly handing the candle over to Misaki. In a flash, his partner pushed him into the wall where it separated into two dank passageways.

"Take the left." the boy said, ushering him toward the flight of stairs, and Misaki began to climb, only pausing when he noticed the boy wasn't following. As he turned, the boy sported a sad smile, nodding at him in a silent exchange of words. "Beige makes a dry burial shroud, doesn't it.(2)" All was silent.

After a while, Misaki said, "I never did get your name." The other boy just smiled a bit wider.

"What, going to tell on me?"

"No.." Misaki smirked a bit at that comment. "I'd like to know the name of a hero." The boy was silent once again.

The boys smile faded a little over time, "I am no hero, merely the hosting body for a demon, but.. Shinobu. Shinobu Takatsuki."

* * *

**A/N: (1) the main character of a spin-off manga of Junjou named Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. Those who haven't watched it are strongly recommended to by me~**

**(2) a parodied version of Theodora I's quote: "Purple makes a fine burial shroud." during the Nika riots.**

**so i hope you have enjoyed this chapter~ I get out of school tmrw, so I'll try and have another chapter up sometime this weekend.**


	11. Chapter 11

Bare feet pounded up and down corridors of cement, searching for a destination, an escape from his sickening reality. The darkness was gaining, he could feel the pulses of it's power on his heels, it's breath on the back of his neck at every turn, the menacing voices in his thoughts, racking his body with undesired chills. Something was there, but every time he turned, it was gone, replaced with an eerie silence. A bone-chilling silence that succeeded in both scaring and unnerving Misaki more than any other sound could. It was just waiting for the right time, and then _SCHLEEEK_, off with his head it would be.

He wasn't sure what happened next, if it was the darkness that consumed him or the light that was making his head spin, but he began to chant. Everything was a blur, there was no reality, and there was no ideality. Merely a mix of the two as he spoke softly to himself.

There was a piercing pain in his side, and he screamed in agony, barely finishing the verse of the chant.

"Sw-sweet mother, send your child.." Another stinging ache found home in his right leg. "Unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in," His mind swam in fogs of agony and release. "Blood and fear." (1)

His body ached in pain, tissues crying out as he heaved a tired laugh, blood spilling from his wounds that he had torn open in prayer. "Life is but a moment, a meaningless grain of sand...(2) There is no use for it, yet it is still there, only to be swept into the ocean of death.. what a pity." Misaki smiled softly, eyes gazing at the darkness in triumph. He had sanctuary with the brotherhood, for he had given them blood, and they shall give protection, like they had in previous years and throughout former generations. They would not fail him, not like Usagi had.

With that thought, the candle was extinguished.

* * *

The briefing had gone well, as had the locating and the preparations, but Akihiko was anxious to see the final product of this campaign. None of them had fought, trained, or even glanced at their weapons in years, maybe even a whole decade. But time was of the essence, and it was essential to quicken the pace before the madness and disease seeped into the mind of his beloved.

He looked around at his pack, gauging the fatigue in each, and evaluating the weaponry of his guerilla army. Hiroki's tome book already looked a bit ruffled, only due to the wind of the mountainous terrain the demon forced them to climb in order to even arrive at the entrance. Aikawa's spears were only soiled by the blood of animal, as was the case with Asahina's single arrow. Isaka's knifes were sharp, though they had yet to taste the blood of demon, and it was the same with 'Nowaki's' axe (though it still belonged to Hiroki). As his former editor, Onodera had volunteered to stay at Aikawa's and watch the demon trackers, despite his wishes to avenge his injuries in cold blood. Akihiko, though, was sure that his guns hungered the most for the death of the creature.

As he bit off a piece of the deer leg and passed it around, Akihiko found he prefered raw meat to cooked. It was too dangerous to start a fire in fear of being seen, and the tenderness of the leg always gave him the sense of superiority that he needed to lead.

With the rough clearing of his throat, Akihiko suspended all conversation as ten pairs of eyes turned to him. "We may be close to the cavern, but our journey has only partially begun." He nodded around at his pack, "Each one of you remembers how the fight went last time. He knows our weaknesses, and knows how to exploit them. Always keep up your guard. We need a code word if we get split up."

"How about 'Blessed creature, bring light'?" Hiroki suggested, and everyone groaned, save Nowaki, who actually thought it was a good idea.

"No, no, no! It's too long, and that's the one you suggested last time. What makes you think we're going to choose it now if we didn't ten years ago?" Isaka asked with a smirk.

"Because it's a good quote from my favourite book." More groaning was heard.

"How about uke?" Aikawa suggested eagerly, and everyone just stared in confusion. "I mean, no, horrible idea. We should do something like 'Song of Autumn'."

Akihiko nodded, mulling it over. The poems overall verses were too long to recite in a couple seconds, but one line should work out okay. "Torrid summers." He said finally. "That is our code. Is everyone ready?"

With the nod of a head, they were off, climbing the mountains of Japan's Gifu and Nagano prefecture.

* * *

**A/N: sorry for not writing this sooner, I was kind of busy over break (hacking my lungs out) so yeah~**

**(1) "Sweet mother, sweet mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear." Dark brotherhood from Skyrim reference. I am officially obsessed with that game..**

**(2)"Life is but a moment, a meaningless grain of sand..." Negative Man from Earthbound. love that game too~ though it is a bit creepy..**


	12. Chapter 12

"Hiro-san? What did he mean 'last time'? Did you do this before?" Nowaki questioned, axe swung over his shoulder with ease. His questioning glance caused a sigh from Hiroki as he prepared to explain the long and fairly complicated history of the demon conflicts.

* * *

_First off, Akihiko comes from a very powerful family. Their lineage traces back to the beginning of the Kamakura shogunate, especially under the influences of Minamoto no Yoshitsune during the battle of Uji. After the Genpei war, Akihiko's ancestors moved from a small farming village to the city of Kyoto, where they dedicated their young second and third sons into the training and draft rounds to become samurai, and from then, Akihiko's family joined into the Fujiwara clan. However, during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods, the clan evolved to become the Usami clan, and became well known off their cavalry and infantry methods, often including extreme mastery of the sword. Economy flourished and wartime methods were halted during the Edo period, as Japan did not need the military as much as it needed agricultural and moral reconstructions, which were eventually achieved during the late Edo and Meiji periods. (1)_

_Though, tragedy struck when the Meiji period began. The Usami clan would no longer be able to draft and train samurai like they used to, and feudalism in Japan, after the arrival of the Americans, would no longer hold suit. The clan gained many enemies during this time, but the most notorious was the brotherhood._

_The brotherhood, the political enemies of the Usami clan, are often revered for their human rituals, and their hatred of authority. Little is known of this organization, though, little to none have come out alive after making a pact with them. To sacrifice oneself for protection is a concept that is widely accepted, and though they do not view cowardice or desperation kindly, they may still give protection if the right amount of blood is sacrificed in their name. _

_This protection comes at a cost, and it doesn't only refer to blood. The psychological and mental health of the one in question, as well as a future controlled by the brotherhood. Needless to say, one does not jump to the occasion when sacrificing, especially with this much at stake. _

_Since the Usami clan and the brotherhood have been enemies since the beginning of the Meiji period, each attempted many political assassinations on the other. Akihiko's grandfather is a good example, and though they say he died in peace, many in the family are skeptical about the cause of death, and whether the brotherhood is behind it. (2)_

* * *

A couple of muffled chuckles were pulled from the other group members as Nowaki tripped over a root in the trail, since he had been too engrossed in the story to realize it. Even Hiroki took the time to laugh softly at his idiotic lover.

Nowaki jumped to his feet, albeit rather dirty, as he landed in a particular dusty spot. Though he still shook off the dirt and commanded his lover to finish the story.

* * *

_At age three, Akihiko began swordsmanship training in England, under his father and his family friends, the Bryans. The Bryans had a young boy about Akihiko's age, and the two soon became best friends, only to be separated by ocean when Akihiko was forced to move back to Japan. It was easy to tell that, at an early age, the boy, Kieran, was infatuated with Akihiko, and that fact is only ever present later in our little history lesson. (3)_

_Kieran shows up eight years later, professing his love on Akihiko's doorstep. He said that these feelings were genuine, not that I deny that claim. Kieran said that Akihiko had to love him back, and, in the dark of the night, the boy attempted to force his feelings upon Akihiko, only to be pushed away. From then, Kieran was different. I spent time with him when he didn't want to talk to Akihiko, but all he would talk about was Angra. I didn't know it at the time, but Angra in the demon and overall god of death. His babbles didn't make sense, but they were filled with worry and despair. _

_A week after the incident, Kieran showed his true colors, transforming into a dark demon. What more can I say? Kieran is a demon, and there was never a way of stopping this. It took our entire team to weaken it enough for me to bind it to a book._

_He was born with the blood of a demon, much like I was born with the blood of an angel. It's odd that we ever had a normal conversation._

* * *

Hiroki was met with his friends fierce gaze, violet eyes flaring with anger and annoyance, "Stop talking about me."

It was an order he could, most certainly, accept.

* * *

**A/N: 1: This is almost a condensed history of Japan. I don't claim to be an expert, so any mistakes are worth mentioning. Also, the Fujiwara clan actually descended to the Uesugi clan, and I contemplated using that clan, but I decided not to because it would remind me too much of Eiri 'Yuki' Uesugi from Gravitation.**

**2: Season 2 episode 11 was the one that Akihiko denies his inheritance in. I believe his grandfather died, but I'm not sure.**

**3: In the Junjou Minimum episode, Akihiko states that a friend from England taught him how to kiss. Kieran is just a random name.**

**garrrrr, backstory is so hard to write and make it interesting.. Im sorry this chapter was so boring, I promise the next one will be better! *hopeful smile***


	13. Limbo

It was dusk when they arrived at the entrance, or so the monitors shown. Above them stood a small mountain cottage, thatched roof and a miniscule chain of smoke rising from the building. It was nothing that would normally draw attention from a traveller, but still noticeable enough to be distinguished in the pale light barely lighting up the mountainside. As the pack grew closer, the demonic sensations radiating from the house continued to increase.

It was when they arrived on the porch that they noticed the runes carved into most of the door. Four radically repeating runes that unnerved the group as they looked upon them.

Before Akihiko could disregard the carvings, Isaka spoke, sounding as anxious as they all felt. "I've seen those before." As it was cautiously said, the editor reached out to run his fingers over the runes, wondering where he had seen these. Instinctively, he crouched a bit closer, studying them scrutinizingly.

The first one he remembered was simple, no more than a line. "Isa. Ice."

The second was an arrow, pointing toward the sky. "Tiwaz. Self-sacrifice, duty, strength." There was a pause, then, "Victory."

The third was like an 'x' though somewhat tilted. "Naudiz. Hardship, frustration, responsibility."

The fourth and final rune looked like a 'z' in the English language, though it was backwards. "Eihwaz. Initiation, turning point.." At the memory of this particular rune, he snarled, eyebrows furrowing in aggravation. "Death" He stood. "It means death. If these bastards think we're going to die, they have another thing coming!"

"Calm Isaka, you fight better when you're focused." Asahina said, pulling him away from the door, still wary of the sword by his partner's side.

"It doesn't matter what it means, we are going in there anyway!" Akihiko growled, practically breaking down the door as he barged in. Though he stopped in his tracks as he saw the room. Or lack thereof.

The entirety of the room was as if they had stepped into another dimension. Where the walls should be, there was only an empty black void, and a hazy smog covered the floor.

Akihiko turned to see Aikawa inching through the door, eyeing the way the light bounced off the fog. "Aikawa, make sure that door doesn't close. Find a large rock or something, that should work." He turned back, watching the smog curl around his leg like a snake as he stepped through it. He wasn't quite sure what kind of mind tricks this demon was playing, but he was getting sick of it.

Though he continued trudging, thinking only of his lover at the end of all this; of good times once again.

The ground turned uneven, though Akihiko thought nothing of it. His mind was set, and time was not to be wasted.

At the back of the train, Nowaki was having second thoughts. As he glanced down at his feet, the man noticed a familiar pattern in the shadows under the grey smoke. He gasped softly, recoiling from realization, only to trip and fall, landing among the bones that he had just now recognized. The others turned to look curiously, finding the man staring down at the skeletal remains below him.

With hesitance, he reached down to grasp a skull from the remains, and upon examining the rounded bone, Nowaki noticed a small star carved in the bulging browline. It was even more noticeable with the blood red outline dripping from the symbol.

Hiroki watched as his lover's eyes grew, and he looked over the skull himself, instantly grimacing. "It's the mark of a pagan." He said, groaning slightly. "Dammit, what is this place?"

Each group member shook their heads, all as confused as the other. Nowaki began to pull more bones from underneath him, arranging them in pairs of two. "What if we make it?" He asked, and the others nodded, Hiroki moving to help his lover.

They assembled a five-point star with the various bones, watching as the bones shined red with their apparent success. When the brightness of the glowing bones had subsided, a paneled trapdoor appeared in the place of the pentagram.

"Oh shit.. This is going to be one of those puzzle dungeons, isn't it?" Isaka frowned.

"Doesn't matter, we have to get rid of this threat before something serious happens." Akihiko answered, ignoring Isaka's aggravated outburst as he opened the door, shimmying his body down the ladder with grace. Everyone followed him in, except Hiroki and Nowaki, for the latter had stopped Hiroki for a moment.

"Hiro-san, um, I'm a bit nervous.. promise me you'll be okay?" Hiroki acted a bit insulted as he scoffed, brushing the taller man's worries off; though the concern in the others eyes made part of his icy core melt a bit.

"Fine, fine, I'll be oka-"

"Hiro-san, I'm being serious!" Nowaki interrupted desperately, gripping his lover in a firm grip. "Promise me.. please.."

As he reached up, Hiroki cupped the taller man's face with a gentle touch. "I promise."

Though that had settled a bit of his worries, Nowaki still had a feeling._ A very bad feeling._

* * *

**A/N: yes, I know, it's a bit late.. this week, my teachers decided it was a damn good idea to flood my time with homework.. stupid teachers.. if this is what sophomore year is like, I don't want to see junior year...  
Anyways, lets stop talking about my work, and start talking about my writing. Those runes are Nordic runes from the Elder Futhark alphabet, but there are a lot of interpretations for each, so I chose the ones that worked best for what I'm writing about. **


	14. Lust

As they descended, the scent of roses and cinnamon wafted up from through the hollow tunnel. It was a familiar scent, reminding each of loving and being loved, and every physical, mental, and emotional aspect that went with it. With a raspy calling, a voice drifted through the sensualized haze, up to the ears of the pack.

"_Welcome mortals." _The voice called, welcoming them into the next dimension as they stepped off the last rung of the ladder. "_This is the paradise of your dreams." _A man stood close, giving each of his visitors a lustful glance. It had been so long since he had visitors, and he had just started to crave human prey again. This group looked big enough to sate his hedonistic desires.

He approached the closest, wrapping his arms around the shoulders of a brunet, instantly rendering his form to the brunet's lover, pressing his lips firmly against the other's.

Asahina's eyes widened as his lips were concealed by the shapeshifter, raising his hand to push the demon from him, but it had already transformed into Isaka, and he could never deny him anything. So, he stood still, unable to think straight or act.

Though, before the demon could get far into his seducing, he was pushed back by Isaka as the editor fumed. Throats were cleared, and the man pushed himself back to his feet, brushing invisible dirt off his clothing. It was far too easy to use mortals. Far too easy.

By just looking at the group, the demon's insights were working. The man he just kissed and the dark haired man are together, obviously. The last two, the giant and the light brown haired man were also together; the mental connection between the two may waver, but in the end, the residual lust that resonated between the two was so overpowering that the demon was forced to tear his eyes from them. His sights landed on the silveret, instantly smirking. So this was the Akihiko that Kieran had been going on about; he was certainly worth the gossip. The way his dark eyes flashed in annoyance, _oh_, it made him shiver in delight! Ah, but Kieran had forbidden him from laying a hand on the gorgeous man. What a shame.

Then he saw the redhead in the back of the group. In a second, he forgot of the standoffish man in place of the enticingly refined woman. He had to know this woman, he had to know everything about her; her beauty in of itself could satisfy his needs. Her beauty.. it took his breath away.

His body moved on it's own, feet dragging himself over to the woman that had already stolen his heart.

She recoiled a bit in disgust as he kissed her hand lightly, though he took it as more of a prudish gesture than a rude one. "_My dear," _he spoke in gentle tones, "_You are the most beautiful creature I have ever had the privilege of laying eyes upon." _He kissed her hand once more, savoring the taste of salty skin before pulling back, bowing his head to Aikawa.

In a flash, Aikawa's spearhead was imbedded in the stomach of the demon, watching in triumph as a piercing flow of black blood dripped from the wound. But as she withdrew the blackened spear, the wound healed itself. The demon returned to her side, tracing his finger along the contours of her lips. "_Feisty, I like that."_

Akihiko and the others readied their weapons, but the demon only chuckled, turning in a full circle. "_Even if you kill me, mortals, you will not be able to continue. You must do something for me, and in return, I shall open the door." _His gaze was pointedly directed at Aikawa, expecting a response from her alone. The others lowered their weapons and looked at her as well.

The demon smirked, "_Call me Sanguine(1)." _He said as he lead the editor into one of the many curtained rooms.

* * *

Ten minutes and a sore jaw later, the swooning, satisfied demon opened the portal to the next dimension. Though he stopped Aikawa to give her a kiss on the cheek and winked. "_Come back anytime, mon cher~" _

And she didn't shy away from the touch this time.

* * *

**A/N: ... not sure whether this should be a pairing or not... (referring to Aikawa and Sanguine...) I'm still debating.. and sorry if this seems rushed.. because I wrote it in the morning, (currently 4:15 am) so yup~  
(1) Prince of hedonism and pleasureful experiences.. from skyrim (DONT SHOOT ME)**


	15. Closer

The next was the illusion of a stormy night, bitter rain beating down on the gluttons, the greedy, and the river in which the wrathful swam. Even as the group stepped over the shuddering bodies of sinners, hands grabbed at their feet, begging them not to leave. Above them, lightning cracked in the distance, booming thunder following closely behind.

Cerberus, the three headed dog that was the guard of this dimension, howled back at the thunder with persistent ferocity as they approached. Next to the dog sat a woman, watching their every step with her keen yellow eyes. As they grew closer, details became more visible. Her deep blue dress shimmered ever so slightly in the rain, and her ebony hair covered the majority of her pale skin. When she stood, the dress fluttered in the harsh wind, as did her hair. When she spoke, she spoke in a monotone. _"You aren't dead, how pitiful."_ Even as she talked, her face showed no emotion. _"You are going to go to hell for this.."_ She paused, frowning slightly, _"Wait, you're already here.."_

Akihiko stepped up to the woman, fully intending to demand entry to the last dimension, but the woman stopped his request. _"I already know why you are here."_ It was confusing for a second before she sighed. _"I am Aratron, the demon of sorrows.."_ She scoffed, _"it only fits that I'm here. Anyways.. I can lead you to the next dimension, if and only if, you do something for me."_ Couldn't be that hard right? Probably just another errand or something. _"I want you to allow me into the mortal realm."_

…

_What?_ Allowing a demon into the physical world would be suicide, but maybe he could just lie about it. He was a good liar, after all. "Alrig-"

_"Don't lie to me, mortal. I can read your thoughts. I am Aratron, remember?"_ She glared at him, _"And besides, I don't want anything that dramatic, I just want another chance. I don't want to be a demon, I want to be human."_ There really was no way out of this, he had no choices here.

Well, no choices that involved saving Misaki, unless he agreed. Gods, he hated demons right now.

"Yes," Akihiko rubbed his forehead tiredly, looking at the rest of the group for confirmation, but even without it, his answer would still be the same. Seeing the pack nod though, was a breath of relief ghosting over him. He turned back, "We shall grant your request."

After a moments concentration, Aratron pointed in a direction toward the raging storm. _"The portal is that way."_

Akihiko just stared. "It's that way?" He pointed in the same direction. After receiving an affirmative answer, Akihiko started to growl. "I don't have time for this! Bring it here!"

_"It's not possible. The portal stays where it is."_

"You've got to be kidding me.."

_"I'm afraid not. Be careful on the way over there."_ Not that I care either way, she thought.

"Yeah, whatever, let's go." He started the hike to the portal, not realizing the immediate danger of the journey.

* * *

The portal to the next dimension was far from being even remotely close. Instead, the group was force to trek around a slithering pool of sinners, each grimacing when any of the dead so much as glanced in their direction.

With Akihiko leading them, they traveled around the edges cautiously, when something, or rather, someone caught Asahina's eye. He knelt down, examining the chiseled face, eyebrows furrowing in recognition.

"Dad.." With a wail, the dead clawed at Asahina, but he was too in shock to care. His father, the one that had killed himself, and attempted to kill his family.. He was here.

Asahina was succombing to the dead, the darkness.

He hated this man, but when he came to his senses, his cries were muffled by crushing bodies, his sight was blocked by the insolent. He had slipped, and no one had been there to pick him up.

* * *

Isaka was the first to notice his partners absence. He was looking behind him to talk his significant other, but found silence. This warranted panic within the editor, and he soon discovered that the man was nowhere to be found. Hiroki grabbed the Isaka around the waist to keep him from running off and dragged him up the hillside where the group could clearly see the exit, the portal.

_This was it, there's no turning back now._

_Next stop, Kieran, the demon of death._

* * *

**A/N: *cowers behind Akihiko* PLEASE DONT KILL ME! AKLSDJHGAKJHDGKJAH, I'M SORRYYY! *dodges flying tomatoes* THIS IS SO LATE, ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY ****IM SORRY. HERE, HAVE A COOKIE: *HAND YOU COOKIE* NOW PLEASE DONT HURT ME...**


	16. The Fight

_His _dimension was not at all what the travellers had expected. It was not some closed in basement, nor was it a dark, cold, or gory to any extent. It was nothing more than a grassy plain, extended into oblivion, with sparse, bushy foliage here and there. The sky was a light blue, and the grass a healthy green.

Out in front of them, was a hill, and upon it sat a figure. In their hands was a lyre, and with hard and quick strokes, they played a short and powerful melody, three notes repeated over and over. It was a sad piece, but soothing, like nothing any of them had ever heard. It was filled with inner turmoil, but at the same time, the chords that were plucked created harmony to reflect the aching loneliness.

Once the figure, a boy, no older than twenty, noticed their presence, he scoffed, standing to meet their questioning gazes. The lyre dropped to the ground, forgotten.

As he glared back at the group with crimson eyes, the blond-haired boy smirked. "_You kept me waiting, Akihiko."_ He said menacingly, watching the silverette with a close eye. The reaction was what he had hoped, and Akihiko growled, holding up the guns in a show of power. The boy just chuckled. "_I see you haven't changed. Still as cocky and arrogant as you were ten years ago." _He began to walk towards Akihiko, shifty-eyed and grinning. "_Perhaps I should make one thing clear, darling." _Black aura seeped from the boy's body as it crumpled to the ground, but the aura stayed, morphing into a humanoid figure. A face became distinguishable, then a torso, then a lower body, until all of the demon was recognizable. Kieran stood before Akihiko, a head shorter, but crimson eyes shining with glory, black hair swaying in the wind. The scent of rotting flesh filled the air, and Kieran laughed at his audiences reactions. "_Akihiko, don't you recognise it?" _He asked with a smile, and Akihiko looked appalled. He leaned in, his ghostly hands running over the jawline of the silverette, and whispered, "_It is the scent of your lover."_

In a flash of gunpowder and smoke, he blew away half of Kieran's body, but to his dismay, it grew back rather quickly.

Kieran grinned, snapping his finger once, and the sky was filled with tumultuous storm clouds. Rain began to sprinkle from the darkening sky, and the wind started to whip around the grass. _"It seemed more suitable like this." _Kieran shrugged.

Hiroki rolled his eyes at this, pushing Akihiko forward, "Don't just sit there! Attack!" He flipped through the tome quickly, looking for a suitable charm to stun the demon.

Kieran just floated over to the flustered brunette, grinning as he recited an invocation of the devil, _"Bagahi laca bachahe, Lamac cahi achabahe, Karrrelyos!" _A burst of dark matter sprung from the ground_, _knockingaway Aikawa, Isaka, and Akihiko's attacks of with ease, and advancing on Hiroki. Nowaki stepped out to protect his lover, fingers curling protectively around the hatchet held firmly in his hand.

The demon's eyes looked upon the axe with humour, chuckling. "_You kept my axe? Why, how nice of you!" _Kieran's eyes scanned over the rosewood handle with a slight smirk. "_Now may I have that?" _His hand stretched out, reaching toward the weapon, only to be knocked back with an unexpected hit from Nowaki.

"D-Do not touch him!"

"_Ow! Jeez, you're quite the little prick, aren't you?" _Kieran growled, rubbing his shoulder where the butt of the axe had made contact. In the background, the shadowed attacks on Akihiko, Isaka, and Aikawa were beginning to wane, giving them time to both retaliate and watch the demon for any further attacks. But for now, Hiroki and Nowaki seemed to be his main focus.

Continuously sifting through the page of the tome, the brunette finally came to a charm that would stun Kieran temporarily. But as he attempted to say it, the demons shadow became detached from it's owner, lashing out at Hiroki, effectively knocking the wind from his lungs and flinging him backwards.

The tome was dropped, forgotten as the demon inhabited Nowaki's body with ease. The demon was once again a host to a body, and the group would have to kill this man before they could capture, or kill him. This man was too easy to inhabit, his mind too easy to infiltrate.

Hiroki groaned, clutching at his midriff as he rose to his feet. He hobbled back toward his book, now stained with mud, but was stopped by his lover's hand. Or, for a second, he liked to believe it was his lover's hand. But his ideas were halted as he saw the man's eyes, no longer cobalt, but a crimson red. As he scrambled away from the demon, he slipped on the muddy ground, falling just a few feet from his lover's body.

The demon stroked the axe with care. "_Ah, I've missed this feeling." _He growled out, smirking down at a obviously injured Hiroki. "_You've always been in my way.. And now it's time for you to drop dead. No hard feelings right?" _He snickered, and Hiroki growled. He couldn't stand the look of lecherous impudence that contorted his lover's face; those eyes he had come to love now clouded over in hatred.

He barely dodged the axehead as it sunk into the ground next to his chest. With this opening, Hiroki took the chance to swing his leg up, making hard contact with Nowaki's chest. It was enough force to knock him back, and Hiroki grabbed the axe in preparation of a counterattack. He quickly said a healing charm to fix up his body, then tried desperately to remember the charm he had used to extract the demon soul ten years ago. His tome was close to being ruined in the mud.

As he held the axe, something attacked him from behind, leaving him with a small slash in the shoulder and causing him to drop the axe. Hiroki mumbled a curse, watching as Nowaki, or rather, _Kieran_, picked up the axe.

The attacks on the other three had ceased, leaving them with an opening to attack the demon directly. They encircled him while Hiroki limped to the book, flipping hastily through the tome for _something._

Aikawa was the first to charge, only to have her spear broken in two by the axe. The demon chuckled. "_You never were the brightest. Axes beat spears." _But at that moment, Isaka charged in as well, making a nice wound on his shoulder with his blade.

"Heh, and swords beat axes. Do your research." Isaka smirked.

"_Ugh, fuck.." _Kieran left Nowaki's body, voice echoing slightly. The leftover body slumped onto the ground, bleeding profusely from the wound.

Hiroki looked around. That couldn't be the end. Kieran was there somewhere, in the shadows, waiting.

Without warning, a beast rose from the depths of the ground, howling with ferocity. The wolf-like creature was almost as big as a house, and it was black, lips pulled back in a snarl to reveal sharp teeth. The aura around the animal burned black with ashen remains. It's fur shone as it growled at the four of them.

"_Now you've pissed me off beyond repair."_ It said, baring it's teeth once again, trapping Akihiko under one gigantic paw as he struggled. The mud was slick on Akihiko's back, chilling him to the core before Isaka cut into the leg of Kieran's beast form. It wasn't much more than a scratch, but Kieran growled, lifting the paw from Akihiko to knock Isaka away, giving the silverette enough time to retaliate. From his place on the ground, he grabbed his guns, shooting up into the chest.

While he did this, Hiroki searched each ruined page for the answer, checking every muddied ink charm for the power to trap the beast, or better yet, kill it. The pages stuck together, making the task harder than it should've been.

When he had finally found something of use, he read it, "Kazhletarahedel, relanihe aump ro fhudos, kazhhe ve nathali!" Bright white light surrounded Hiroki. His hand directed the charm with ease, sending a beam of light flying toward the demon. It slashed part of the beasts leg, and it fell onto it's side in pain.

Just when Hiroki had thought he could finish it off, Kieran stood again, swinging his paw to connect with the brunette's chest. Hiroki was sent backwards, once again, landing harshly upon the ground.

Akihiko watched in awe as Hiroki stood, albeit a little dizzily, and attacked again. It missed the demon completely, and Akihiko realised his friend needed a bit of rest. In an attempt to give Hiroki some time to recharge, Akihiko unleashed his cartridges unto the beast, motioning for Isaka and Aikawa to do the same.

Together, the three kept Kieran occupied, Aikawa thrusting her spear into it's side, Isaka jumping around and slashing where he could, and Akihiko peppering the giant with a volley of bullets. Kieran tried to attack when he could, occasionally knocking one of the three away, but when he did, another sharp pain caused him to retreat. Black blood was flowing from his wounds.

Hiroki stumbled over, leaning onto Akihiko's shoulder heavily as he blast another charm at the demon. It fell, and he smiled in success.

The beast disintegrated, leaving Kieran's human form panting and bleeding in exhaustion. Black blood puddled around his body, shaking with every breath he took. He looked up as Akihiko strolled over, pressing the barrel of the gun against Kieran's temple.

"Where is he?"

_"Where is who?" _Kieran grinned, teeth blackened with his own blood and he coughed up the vile liquid. Akihiko growled, pressing the barrel harder to his temple.

"You know who, you bastard, where is he?"

Kieran laughed. _"You never change. He is dead, I killed him." _

Akihiko was about to respond when he heard the sobs coming from behind him. He shot a couple bullets into Kieran's skull, then turned around to see Hiroki slumped over Nowaki's body. He was embracing the lifeless body, stroking his hands through matted hair. His sobs became increasingly louder as he gripped Nowaki's body closer to him.

"Fuck, no.. No! NO! Nowaki... come back.. please." He begged, shaking in the rain.

"Hiroki.." Akihiko reached toward his friend, but stopped when he received a venomous, tear-filled glare.

"D-Don't fucking touch me." Hiroki ground out, holding Nowaki's body with care. The rain fell upon them, but none moved.

"Hiroki.." He called again, but the brunette was in too much pain to hear the soothing voices calling to him. He sobbed, stroking the smooth face he had come to love, patting the black hair he had pulled on in the throes of passion. He looked into the lifeless cobalt eyes, now glazed with death, and he collapsed in a fit of tears. The man he had come to love, dead, gone...

Hiroki's eyes burned with forgotten tears. All he had been fighting for, all that he had loved, taken. His voice was ragged with anger and depression as he cursed the gods and life, kissing the pale lips once, and laying the body down on the muddy ground.

He muttered a small prayer, and stood, burying his face in his hands in distress. Akihiko lead him away, wrapping an arm around him in silent comfort. With a broken Hiroki in his arms, he headed toward where the next-dimensional portal lay, next to the puddle of Kieran's black blood.

* * *

**A/N: I just.. I don't even know.. I cried while writing this, I really did. It messed me up, a lot... **


	17. Misaki

When they stepped through into the next dimension, Hiroki cast a simple conjuration spell to aid in tracking down Misaki. It looked like a ghostly hunting dog, and it's body was nothing more than a pale outline. The spirit howled, prancing off in the direction of Misaki, leaving a trail of white light behind where it had stepped.

There a silence as they looked around the room at the blood, knives, candles, and concrete. The smell was vile, and Isaka could not keep the acids from his stomach down. He vomited, and Aikawa patted him on the back reassuringly.

Akihiko, however, was far from being reassured, especially with the amount of blood currently puddling around his shoes. He needed to see Misaki, he needed to know he is alive.

Hiroki picks up a candle and lights the wick on fire with shaking hands. His sobs are nonexistent, but his body is still quivering in sorrow. He will help Akihiko, he reckons, and then leave to find Nowaki, wherever he might be. He shall bring Isaka with him, and the two shall find their lovers together.

They ascend the stairs where the conjuration led them, Aikawa and Akihiko in front, Hiroki closely behind them, and Isaka limping in the back from the earlier fight with Kieran. He had been sent flying one too many times, and the demon's claws had made a nice gash in the back of his leg.

It seems like an eternity before the path of the conjuration ends, and they are left to face what bloodied heap of flesh and bone is Misaki. For a moment, Akihiko loses all hope of regaining the brunette, but when he sees the faint shudder of breath, hears the slowing exhale, his spirits rise.

But when he reaches out to touch his lover, wake him from his slumber, reassure him that everything will be alright, something shocks him, and he is forced to pull back. He tries again, but receives another shock for his efforts. A voice from behind him speaks up, "_You never change. Don't you realize it." _Akihiko growls, flipping around, but Kieran is not there. No, he's there, Akihiko knows he is. But it is too dark to see.

The light from the candle is fending off the darkness, where Kieran surely waits. But laughs echo around the corridor, deep, disturbing laughs. Akihiko is truly worried for his sanity, and his well-being, more than ever before. The fear he feels is deep, real.

It's something about this place, something that makes it's inhabitants feel uneasy, something about it seems wrong.

He turns back to his lover. How the hell is he going to get him out of here?

A booming voice echoes throughout the hallways. _"Did you think you actually got rid of me, Akihiko?" _It laughs, and Akihiko prepares his muscles, readies his body and mind for an attack

Instead, Akihiko realised, it was not to come. There would be no attack. He is dead, isn't he? A masked figure steps from the darkness, dressed in dark robes, boots, and carrying a small knife in their hand. It was only after a couple of moments that the identity of the figure dawned on him.

Akihiko growled. It was the Brotherhood. Those bastards who had killed so many members of his family. Those bastards who continue to threaten him. Why are they here?

The figure catches Akihiko's glare, and returns it. "Stop. I'm only doing my job." In fury, Akihiko lunges at the figure, grasping at the neck of the Brotherhood member, but, to his dismay, the figure slipped out of his grasp, sending a few razor-like stabs with the knife. They hit Akihiko in the side, not doing any major harm.

Aikawa bought her author some time by swinging her spear around, flat side of the blade making contact in temple. The figure glared at Aikawa, and after recovering, they charged in with quick jabs.

Hiroki watched in dismay, then, upon realising the situation, called for a temporary ceasefire.

Hiroki pointed to the Brotherhood member, "You, you said you were only doing your job, right? But your job is him, isn't it." The fighting stopped, and Akihiko looked furious. Hiroki spoke up again. "Your job is to get him out of here."

A grunt of affirmation was heard, and the Brotherhood member pushed his (or her) way past the others to Misaki. The figure checked for a pulse, then picked the brunette up and hoisting the limp, bloodied body over one shoulder. The figure nodded at them, then snapped their fingers. When they did, lights overhead flickered. Just regular, school issued lights. Hiroki blinked.

"We.. we've been in the fucking basement of Mitsuhashi this entire time?!" He grimaced, rubbing his aching forehead. The figure nodded, eyes crinkling as they laughed softly, then widened as they remembered their job.

"I'll bring Misaki back to your penthouse, and get him some medical attention. Hurry back." Then the two disappeared in a flash of pink smoke. Akihiko growled, turning hastily to Hiroki.

"Where are we?" Hiroki sighed. He has always been impatient like this.

"The basement of the math department at Mitsuhashi."

"Well shit, this really is hell."

* * *

**A/N: NOT THE DREADED MATH DEPARTMENT! Anything but that.. Ugh, this is sooo late, but whatever. Just be happy you got it. Next chapter will be the last.**


End file.
